Global Mindset Competency Flashcards

Question

Key Global HR Skills: Use and adapt HR technology

Answer 1

Use technology to increase the efficiency of HR programs and integration with the organization’s information systems. Move HR technology from domestic to global operations, keeping in mind different input requirements, attitudes toward and regulation of employee data and privacy, differing technology platforms, and cultural issues.

Answer 2

Take a systematic and disciplined approach to measuring and operationalizing strategic goals. Align human capital to achieve strategic goals. Demonstrate the value HR brings to the global enterprise.

Answer 3

Provide for the health, safety, and security of employees. Protect the physical assets of the organization. Protect the intellectual property of the company, such as copyrighted material or patented devices or processes. Protect intangible assets such as: -Relationships with internal and external stakeholders (including employees, customers, communities, governments, institutions). -Reputation of the company. Audit the organization’s policies and practices to make sure that they are compliant and effective and are being enforced. Monitor breaches of compliance: -Financial (violations of law related to corporate governance) -Ethical (environmental or consumer safety regulations) -Employment-related (discrimination laws, requirements to inform workforces)

Answer 4

- They drive for the bigger, broader picture - They accept contradictions - They trust the process to solve problems - They value multicultural teamwork - They view change as opportunity - They are open to new ideas and continual learning - They are inclusive, not exclusive

Answer 5

An expression of what a culture values and how it thinks - therefore, legal systems vary, just as cultures do. HR professionals interacting with the legal systems in their areas of operation should be familiar with basic legal concepts

Answer 6

Constantly redefining itself

Answer 7

A set of core beliefs about what constitues right and wrong

Answer 8

have a basic understanding of the core beliefs and values on which the law is based. HR professionals managing global workforces must be aware of the different legal systems and their requirements, and all HR professionals should be able to recognize the effect of different legal systems on their work

Answer 9

Civil law Common law Religious law

Answer 10

Civil law is based on written codes approved by legislative bodies. In some instances, governments implement regulations to enforce laws. These regulations have the force of law. The law is applied deductively in each case, starting from the abstract rule that has been stated in the nation’s civil law code. Each judicial action is bound by the letter of the law; the laws are not affected by judicial decisions.

Answer 11

Common law is based on legal precedent. Each case is considered in terms of how it relates to judicial decisions that have already been made. Common law evolves through judicial decisions over time. Some common laws have been codified, as in the Uniform Commercial Code in the United States, which is applied to commercial transactions. Because legal precedents are not always considered binding and because legal positions evolve over time through a series of cases in which analyses may differ, common law can change gradually.

Answer 12

Religious law is based on religious beliefs and conventions: a mixture of written codes and interpretations by religious scholars. Most world religions have their own bodies of laws and legal processes—for example, Sharia (Islam), canon law (Christianity), and the Halakha (Judaism). HR professionals must be aware of the relationship between civil and religious laws in the countries in which their organizations operate and potential conflicts between their employees’ religions and the employers’ policies.

Answer 13

In the real world, the types defined here often appear in mixed forms

Answer 14

No individual is beyond the reach of the law; authority is exercised in accordance with written and publicly disclosed laws. This creates order and predictability for citizens and foreign entities/individuals who may become litigants. A country with a strong rule of law will present lower risks for organizations but also require greater accountability for compliance. A country with a weaker rule of law can still present opportunities but will also present higher risks and lower control.

Answer 15

Laws are enforced only through accepted, codified procedures, thus avoiding arbitrary treatment and abuse of power.

Answer 16

Jurisdiction is the right of a legal body to exert judicial authority over a region, subject matter, or individual. Because global organizations operate across jurisdictions, they must be aware of applicable laws and who has legal authority over their operations in any given country, region, or municipality. Some jurisdictions may overlap, and it is important to recognize when or if there are potential conflicts—for example, cases when federal law supersedes local or provincial laws and when jurisdiction resides with the host country and not the home country.

Answer 17

Conflict of laws is a situation in which the laws of two or more jurisdictions differ and may exert a different result on a legal case depending on which system is deemed to have jurisdiction.

Answer 18

Jurisdiction shopping (or forum shopping) is the practice of taking complaints to jurisdictions sympathetic to the complainants’ case. It is rarely effective where employment contracts are concerned, since residency laws favoring the jurisdiction in which the work is actually done tend to prevail.

Answer 19

Laws can be described by their areas of control: National—federal laws applicable across the nation Subnational/regional—laws that apply to states, provinces, municipalities, or regions (Their relationship to federal laws can be complex.) Extraterritorial—laws that extend beyond a nation’s borders and protect or apply to the nation’s citizens traveling or working abroad Supranational—binding agreements between nations; may supersede national laws International—laws between nations that also apply to individuals within national borders (for example, human rights laws); usually ratified by participating countries but can also be accepted without ratification

Answer 20

A set of beliefs, attitudes, values, and perspectives on how the world works. Culture is invisible and can be handed down from one generation to the next

Answer 21

Groups who share a specific set of beliefs, attidues, values, and perspectives. The term "group" can refer to nations or geographical regions, and also to organizations, diciplines, industries, or even smaller divisions of these groups. Cultural models are like a distinctive genetic code - invisible but present and exerting a strong influence on what we see

Answer 22

When we look at cultural settings

Answer 23

A cultural setting is created whenever 2 or more people get together to perform some task. Settings occur at work, home, schools, a house of worship, or a place for recreation. As people interact within the cultural setting, they exhibit behaviors that are the result of their culture

Answer 24

The individual’s personality, which is a product of inheritance and experience. Human nature, which is universal—such as feelings of joy or loss.

Answer 25

the "software of the mind" - mental programs that predispose us to patterns of thinking, feeling, and acting. If that is so, then, like most computers, we simultaneously run multiple software programs in order to carry out our daily tasks. And—not to stretch the analogy too far—sometimes all that software running simultaneously can create conflicts and overloads.

Answer 26

We have the potential for misunderstandings and conflict. Applying an understanding of culture can help resolve these conflicts and restore productivity and collaboration. Leaders, HR professionals, and employees can recognize differences that are rooted in culture and decide to move toward them in curiosity and not away from them in fear and distrust.

Answer 27

Each culture has multiple layers Beneath a culture's explicit characteristics (such as language, dress, or manner) which are relatively easy to appreciate, there are implicit characteristics (such as world views and congitive habits), which take time and experience to discover and understand.

Answer 28

Viewing an iceberg or peeling back an onion We only see the visible tip/outer layer of culture - language, food, style of dress, and architecture - or a bit deeper down to lifestyle and behaviors. Hidden below are the beliefs and values that are the foundation

Answer 29

Culture's multiple layers and their interrelationship. It is important to recognize in his model (that looks like an onion) that the outer layers derive from the innermost layers and can be fully understood only in that context

Answer 30

Artifacts and products (outermost layer, explicit culture) Norms and values (first inner layer) Basic Assumptions (innermost/base/center layer - implicit culture)

Answer 31

These include a culture’s obvious features, such as its food, dress, architecture, humor, and music. For example, Texas may elicit images of cowboy hats and boots, barbecue, and country music, while Tuscany conjures images of cathedrals, pasta, and wine. An organization may be distinguished by its clothing choices (for example, suits and ties versus hoodies and jeans) or physical design (for example, beige cubicles or an “open office” with designated collaborative spaces). One of the artifacts of an organizational culture might be its climate.

Answer 32

Less immediately obvious are a culture’s shared and stated sense of acceptable behaviors—what is right and wrong. These may be a country’s rules and regulations or a company’s mission statement and code of conduct.

Answer 33

These are the culture’s core beliefs about how the world is and ought to be. They may be unspoken, and members may not even be consciously aware of them. Even cultures with similar norms and values may have significantly different basic assumptions. Terms such as “success,” “freedom,” or “doing good” may carry very different meanings for each culture, and failure to perceive such differences is often at the root of cross-cultural miscommunication and conflicts.

Answer 34

Cross-cultural communication depends on negotiating an outer shell of explicit cultural artifacts and products so that one can appreciate an inner core of conscious values and norms and eventually reach an understanding of basic beliefs that unconcisously shape the culture's feelings, perceptions, thoughts, and actions. One cannot assume that simply being comfortable with the explicit culture - what is usually taught as cross cultural business etiquette - conveys complete cultural understanding

Answer 35

Because these features are more accurately described as the org's climate, which is distinct from culture. Culture is the result of shared beliefs; climate may result from the actions of a few individuals or external forces. Poor climates can be created even in orgs with a positive culture. Mistaking the climate an culture can result in orgs undertaking entire cultural changes to correct a disorder that doesn't exist - the fundamentals of the org's culture may be in fine shape but it could be the climate that needs improvement. HR professionals adept at identifying the difference between culture and climate can help establish processes and procedures to ensure that an organization’s climate does not create obstacles to achieving organizational goals.

Answer 36

The capacity to recognize, interpret, and behaviorally adapt to multicultural situations and contexts. As with the term "global mindset" the concept of "culture" here needs to be extended to embrace other diversity dimensions - age, gender, race, religion, socioeconomic background, and even intelligence and ideology

Answer 37

Cognitive, motivational, and behavioral Many efforts to develop and enhance cultural intelligence tend to focus on the cognitive aspect alone. In fact, using a comprehensive approach that pays equal attention to all three components is more effective.

Answer 38

Including thinking, learning, and strategizing. This involves developing a knowledge of cultural differences and similarities and being able to use that knowledge to determine how best to handle a cross-cultural situation.

Answer 39

Including effectiveness, confidence, persistence, value congruence, and the level of attraction toward a new culture. This quality enables one to genuinely enjoy cultural differences rather than feeling threatened or intimidated by them.

Answer 40

Including an individual’s range of possible actions and responses to intercultural encounters. This quality enables one to be flexible and adapt in multicultural contexts.

Answer 41

Context level affects communication and relationships: High-context culture—A statement’s meaning includes the verbal message and the nonverbals and social and historic content attached to the statement. Low-context culture—A statement’s meaning is encoded in its words only.

Answer 42

Six dimensions: Power distance—Pattern of distribution of power to culture’s members. Individualism/collectivism—Degree to which individuals perceive themselves as members of a group. Uncertainty avoidance—Level of tolerance of ambiguous, new, or changed situations. Masculine/feminine—Degree to which a culture follows traditional gender characterizations (masculine as rigid and competitive, feminine as nurturing and sharing). Long-term/short-term—Long-term cultures focus on traditions and tend to resist change; short-term cultures are more pragmatic and see the positive potential of change. Indulgence/restraint—Gratification of individual desires.

Answer 43

Seven dilemmas that illustrate points of cultural tension: Universal/particular—Flexibility versus rules. Individual/communitarian—The good that drives decisions (the individual or society as a whole). Neutral/affective—Expression of emotion. Specific/diffuse—Public and private boundaries. Achieved/ascribed—Source of merit (personal accomplishment or connection). Sequential/synchronic—Sense of time (linear and limited or cyclical and expansive). Internal/external—Individual control over one’s destiny.

Answer 44

“How much context or unspoken background does someone need to understand a statement or behavior?” Or, more simply, in a low-context culture, what you say is what you mean, while in a high-context culture, what you say is not necessarily what you mean. Another way to consider the difference is: - In a low-context culture, the applicable principle is: “It’s not personal. It’s just business.” - In a high-context culture, the applicable principle is: “No business until I get to know you personally.”

Answer 45

Require a great deal of background. They are characterized by complex, usually long-standing networks of relationships, which are as important as work and often blur the line between business and social lives. Since members of the culture share a rich history of common experience, the way they interact and interpret events is often not apparent to outsiders. There are rules—sometimes exceedingly complex rules—but they are implicit, and the rules are often applied flexibly. Countries with high-context cultures include China, Japan, and France. Most Latin American countries also have high-context cultures.

Answer 46

Low-context cultures package necessary background in the communication itself. In a low-context culture, relationships tend to have less history. Because individuals know each other less well and don’t share a common database of experience, communication must be very explicit. Examples of low-context countries are the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada.

Answer 47

Negotiations—A high-context culture, such as Japan, may appear to be agreeing but may not really have fully accepted the terms. 360-degree performance reviews—A manager from a low-context culture (for example, the U.S.) may misunderstand comments from high-context evaluators. Training meetings—High-context culture members frequently will not ask questions or challenge the authority of the instructor.

Answer 48

His research during the 1970s into cultural differences at IBM subsidiaries in 64 countries.

Answer 49

Power distance, indivdualism/collectivism, uncertainty avoidance, masculine/feminine, long/short-term, indulgence/restraint Not all dimensions may be of the same importance in all cultures. Each pair offers contrasting values but in reality are presenting a continuum - rarely does one given culture exist entirely at one extreme or another

Answer 50

Extent to which less-powerful members of organizations and institutions accept unequal distribution of power Example Countries High: Malaysia, Latin America, Middle East, China, Indonesia, India Low: Austria, Israel, Scandinavian countries, U.K., U.S.

Answer 51

Degree to which individuals are integrated into groups Individualism: Ties are loose, self-reliance valued Collectivism: Strong, cohesive groups; protection is exchanged for loyalty to group Example Countries Individual: U.S., Australia, U.K., Netherlands, Italy, Belgium Collective: Latin America, Pakistan, Indonesia, South Korea, China

Answer 52

Level of tolerance of uncertainty and ambiguity; extent to which individuals feel comfortable in unstructured, new, or unexpected situations Example Countries High: Greece, Portugal, Latin America, Belgium, Japan, France Low: Singapore, Denmark, Sweden, U.K.

Answer 53

Masculine traits: Ambitious, tendency to polarize, oriented toward work and achievement Feminine traits: Nurturing, empathetic, oriented toward quality of life, striving for consensus, favoring small size and slow pace Note: In masculine societies, gender roles are distinct; in feminine societies, roles may overlap. Example Countries Masculine: Japan, Hungary, Austria, Venezuela, Italy Feminine: Scandinavian countries, Netherlands, Chile, Thailand

Answer 54

Long-term orientation: Uses traditional norms and customs to guide action. Values thrift, perseverance; orders relationships by status and values. Short-term orientation: Makes decisions based on likely results. Values pragmatism. Example Countries Long-term: China, Japan, South Korea, Brazil, India Short-term: West Africa, Philippines, Norway, U.K., U.S.

Answer 55

Indulgence: Enjoyment of life and freedom in gratifying desires Restraint: Suppression of desires in order to meet social norms Example Countries Indulgence: Most North and South American countries Restraint: Russia and Baltic countries, Italy, India, China

Answer 56

Their work on interviews with Shell managers around the world. Their work shows seven "dilemmas" or alternatives that illustrate the essential tensions between cultures. There is consistency in several of the "dilemmas" with Hofstede's "dimensions"

Answer 57

A universal culture esteems consistency, clarity, and impartiality. Rules for each case ensure fairness. A particular culture is flexible, pragmatic, and comfortable with ambiguity. It considers the case and its context first and will make exceptions; fairness is achieved by considering many factors and relationships. Example Countries Universal: Switzerland, Canada, U.S., Sweden, U.K. Particular: Venezuela, Korea, Russia, China, Portugal

Answer 58

To an individualist, a good society is one in which there is freedom and opportunity to advance oneself. To a communitarian, a good society is achieved when we all take care of each other, even if this means loss of personal freedom or opportunity. Example Countries Individual: Israel, Canada, U.S., Denmark Communitarian: Egypt, Mexico, India, Japan, France

Answer 59

A neutral society disapproves of public expressions of emotion. In affective cultures, individuals express emotions freely. Example Countries Neutral: Ethiopia, Japan, China, India Affective: Kuwait, Egypt, Spain, Russia, Argentina

Answer 60

People in specific cultures have open public lives but a strong boundary between public and private lives. People in diffuse cultures allow access to their public lives only through introduction by a trusted associate, but when access is granted, it includes access to the person’s private life. Example Countries Specific: Sweden, Netherlands, U.K., Canada Diffuse: China, Nigeria, Kuwait, Singapore

Answer 61

In an achieved culture, individuals are valued according to their own accomplishments (what they do). In an ascribed culture, value may be derived from social factors, like position, wealth, family, or gender (who they are). Example Countries Achieved: U.S., Australia, Canada, U.K., Netherlands Ascribed: Egypt, Argentina, Czech Republic, Korea, Poland

Answer 62

Sequential cultures see time as linear and an important part of life. Planning, keeping appointments, and making productive use of time are important. The future is more important than the past. Synchronic cultures see time as large enough to accommodate multiple activities at the same time. They can also accommodate delays if a change is necessary to support a relationship. The past and the present are just as important or more important than the future. Example Countries Sequential: U.S., Japan, Netherlands Synchronic: France, Spain, Belgium

Answer 63

In an internal world, individuals can decide and follow their own paths. One can dominate nature. In an external world, human beings are part of a larger scheme that directs the course of events. Individuals can only adapt, not create. They must submit to nature. Zeynep Aycan (2005) refers to this dimension as “fatalism.” Example Countries Internal: Israel, Norway, U.S., U.K., France External: Venezuela, China, Russia, Kuwait, Singapore

Answer 64

an organization or profession tries to apply practices based on their own values to a host workplace or market with different cultural norms. Conflict can arise frm differences in professional as well as social values. The challenge for HR is to better understand each of the members and stakeholders of their own multicultural organizations and to foster interaction, understanding, and appreciation of diverse views and opinions.

Answer 65

Ethnocentricism and Parochialism Cultural Stereotypes Cultural Determinism Cultural Relativism

Answer 66

The viewer perceives and judges other cultures according to the norms of the viewer’s own culture and rigidly maintains that narrow mindset. Adler characterizes ethnocentrism as “our way is the best way and we are really not interested in other ways of reaching a goal.” Parochialism goes even further, asserting that “there is only one way to solve a problem or reach a goal.” While both are limited world views, it is possible to alter ethnocentric views with time, experience, and training. Parochialism is such a rigid mindset that it may not easily be malleable.

Answer 67

Perceptions of a culture are applied to all of the culture’s members, often in a negative manner. While certain words are used to describe cultural value dimensions and characteristics, these words should not be judgmental or contain negative connotations. A particular culture’s approach to time can be described without degenerating into judgmental phrases such as “lazy” or “undependable.” It is also valuable to remember that cultural descriptive terms characterize group behaviors but that not all individuals within a group necessarily conform to these norms.

Answer 68

Culture defines behavior and therefore excuses some actions and makes changes impossible. “The culture made me do it.” This perspective basically absolves individuals of any responsibility for their actions. Global HR professionals will often hear from managers in other countries that something cannot be done because of the local culture. This may call for further discussion about the supposed obstacles. In some cases they may not exist, and in others the obstacles may not really be cultural resistance to the practice but to how the practice is being implemented.

Answer 69

There are no absolutes. Norms and values vary by situation and cultural perspective. Cultural relativism holds that because cultures vary so widely and greatly, everything is relative. There are no absolutes; everything varies based on the situation and the cultural perspective. In fact, while cultural differences are often considerable, global HR can refer to a reasonable set of absolutes based on honesty, decency, and personal integrity that should pertain across cultures.

Answer 70

Malicious Compliance This can occur when headquarters develops standardized programs that fail to recognize local differences and imposes them on their foreign subsidiaries. Local managers know the programs will not succeed in their standardized form but agree to implement them and then watch them achieve the inevitable results—failure and increased resistance to future programs.

Answer 71

-Cultural domination and cultural accomodation are essentially about assimilation. I assimilate your beliefs, or you assimilate mine -Cultural compromise involves both sides giving up some values in order to meet in the middle -Cultural synergy involves creating a third way - finding what works well in each culture and removing barriers to communication and collaboration, including language and policies

Answer 72

The are more flexible, adaptive, and resilient; they are skilled in the process of charting a course through cultural differences (a process Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner call dilemma reconciliation)

Answer 73

Recognize. (Create awareness of cultural differences.) Respect. (Appreciate the value of difference.) Reconcile. (Resolve differences by finding a common path.) Realize. (Implement solutions and institutionalize them in the organization.)

Answer 74

Managers who have a global mindset They appreciate that everyone—including themselves—has a culture that shapes their perceptions and values. Global managers then seek to understand more fully their own cultures and, with the same depth, the other cultures in which they interact. Differences and similarities are identified and appreciated. They avoid stereotyping.

Answer 75

Contribute to global standards and facilitate alignment of local practices with these standards. Managing cultural differences will require global HR professionals who are literate in cultural theory and differences and who understand what to do when faced with a cultural dilemma that threatens a global strategy. The first step in achieving cultural literacy is to internalize the importance of mutual understanding, learning, and training. Turning to focus groups, employee resource groups, and reverse mentorship can help in achieving this goal.

Answer 76

Employee resource groups (ERGs) are centered around certain shared characteristics (for example, gender, race, or nationality). ERGs can help empower and support communities within the organization, they can be a useful source of information and feedback to help HR devise plans and proposals to realize benefits from cultural differences, and they should be open to all employees.

Answer 77

Reverse mentorship redefines the mentor-mentee relationship into one that goes both ways. Each individual can teach the other about their own cultures, acting in the role of cultural intermediary or coach. These relationships build trust and enhance effective collaboration and can help instill a global mindset as employees are exposed to more diverse viewpoints.

Global Mindset Competency Flashcards

(102 cards)